Steering-check for automobiles.



No. 822,268. PATENTBD JUNE 5, 1906. H. GEISBNHUNER & D. MILLER. STEERINGCHECK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.19, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SEEET 1.

Inventors Henry Geisenhb'ner. David Miller.

No. 822,268. PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906. H. GEISENHO'NER a; n. MILLER.STEERING GHEGK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.19. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Fig. I; Fig.4

I%ZIQ@ Inventors.

Henry Geisnhfiner; David Mille.

' NITED STATES;

PATENT FFKUE.

HENRY (JrEISENHONER AND DAVID MILLER, OF SUHENEU-"ADY, NEW YORK.ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPO- RATlON OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5. 1906.

Application filed October 19, 1903. S -M111 177,547.

,fl'o Kalli/17mm it may concern.-

and advantages of such a contrivance are so' well known as to need nodetailed explanation here. Patents have heretofore been granted forsteeringchecks; but, so far as we are aware, none of them operate in thesame manner as our present invention, which consists of a stationarycylindrical shell, a central shaft connected with the steeringhandie, arotatable arm connected with the steering-gear, and two sets oflocking-dogs pivotally mounted on said arm and engaging with theinternal surface of the shell. Said dogs are adapted to be unlocked bythe initial angular movement of the shaft, whose further rotationcarries the arm with it and actuates the steeringgear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of anautomobile equipped with our improved steering-check. Fig. 2 is aperspective view, on a large scale, of the steering-check alone. Fig. 3is a top plan view of the same with the top plateremoved, showing thedogs locked. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the .dogs unlocked. Fig. 5is a central upright section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is anend view of the cam-shaft.

The steering-handle 1 of the automobile is suitably attached to" anupright shaft 2, journaled in bearings on the body 3 and coupled at itslower end to a cam-shaft 4, which is journaled in the bottom 5 of acup-shaped cylindrical shell 6, having feet 7, by which it is fastenedto the front aXle of the machine. The top of the shell is closed by aplate 8, which is rotatable on the shell concentric with the shaft 4 andis connected with said shaft by a lost-motion device, preferably a lug9, on the shaft, engaging with a notch 10 in the plate, the notch beinglonger than the lug, as shown in Fig. 2. The plate has an arm 11,containing a slot 12, by means of which itis pivotally connected withthe rods, which run to the steering-heads in which the front wheels 13are journaled and by means of which said wheels are turned to steer themachine.

' It will be seen that the above-described mechanism provides asteering-gear with. a slight amount of lost motion at the joint be tweenthe shaft 4 and the plate 8. In order to lock the plate 8 and the wheels13 in any. position to which they may be turned, we provide thefollowing mech anism. A disk 14 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 4 atthe bottom of the shell and is connected with the top plate 8 by posts15, preferably four in number. On each post are pivoted two dogs 16 17,one above the other, the outer ends of the dogs being capable of bitinginto the inner surface of the shell and preventing any rotation of theplate and disk, the upper set of dogs resistingmovement in one directionand the under set resisting movement in the opposite direction. The dogsare urged into engagement with the shell by strong springs 18, and whenthus engaged the two dogs on each post stand at a slight angle with eachother, as shown in Fig. 3. The tails of the dogs all project inwardlytoward the shaft 4,

which at these points is polygonal, having flattened faces 19 20 toafford a solid abutment for said tails when the tips of the dogs are inengagement with the shell.

The operation of our invention is as follows: A slight rotary movementof the shaft in either direction to the extent permitted by one-half theplay of the lug 9 in the notch 10 causes the corners of the shaftbetween the faces 19 20 to operate as cams and to force the dogs intothe position shown in Fig. 4. The tips of the dogs are now parallel withthe shell and their sharp angles no longer bite into it, so that theshaft, plate, disk, posts, and dogs can all be rotated in the shell toeffect a steering movement of the wheels. A movement of the cam-shaft ineither direc tion unlocks the particular set of dogs (either upper orlower, as the case may be) which normally opposes the turning of theplate 8 in that direction. When one set is thus unlocked and the plateis turned, the other set of dogs simply drags around inside the shellready at any instant to oppose any retrograde movement, so that when thepressure on the steering-handle is relaxed both sets of dogs areimmediately in looking engagement with the shell. Any effort to turn theplate 8 by thrust on the rods connecting the arm 11 with thesteering-wheels only serves to make the dogs bite into the shell thedeeper. The steering-gear is thus positively locked at all times whenthe steering-handle is not being moved, but is instantly unlocked by aslight movement of said handle in either direction.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principleof operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to haveit understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that theinvention can be carried out by other means.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

r 1. A steering-check for automobiles, comprising a rotatable arm, astationary shell, radially-disposed dogs pivotally supported by said armand engaging with said shell, and a shaft having a Wiping engagementwith the dogs for unlocking them and rotating said arm.

2. A steering-check for automobiles, comprising a rotatable arm, astationary shell, dogs pivotally supported by said arm and engaging withsaid shell, and a shaft having cam-surfaces to unlock said dogs.

3. A steering-check for automobiles, comprising a rotatable arm, astationary shell, dogs pivotally supported by said arm, and engagingwith said shell, and a shaft having cam-surfaces to unlock said dogs anda lostmotion connection with said arm.

4. The combination with a cup-shaped cylindrical shell, of a shaftcentrally j ournaled therein, and provided with flattened faces, a diskand a top plate rotatable on said shaft, posts connecting said disk andplate, and

dogs pivoted on said posts and engaging with the inner surface of saidshell and also with the faces on said shaft.

5. The combination with a cylindrical shell, of a plate rotatablethereon, two sets of dogs pivoted on said plate and serving respectively to prevent movement of said plate in either direction, and acam-shaft for unlocking either set of dogs according to the direction inwhich it is turned.

6. The combination with a cylindrical shell, of a shaft concentrictherewith and having two polygonal portions, a plate rotatableconcentric with said shaft, and two sets of dogs pivotally supported onsaid plate and engaging with the inner surface of said shell and withthe polygonal portions of said shaft.

7. The combination with a cylindrical shell, of a shaft concentrictherewith and having two polygonal portions, a plate rotatableconcentric with the shaft, and two sets of spring-actuated dogspivotally supported on said plate and engaging with the polygonalportions of the shaft and the inner surface of said shell, said setsrespectively resisting movement of the plate in opposite directions.

81 In combination, a rotatable arm, a surrounding shell, dogs pivotallysupported by the arm and engaging with said shell, and a shaft. havingcam-surfaces to unlock said dogs.

9. In combination, a rotatable arm, a stationary shell, dogs pivotallysupported by said arm and engaging with said shell, and a shaft havingcam-surfaces to unlock said dogs and a lost-motion connecction with saidarm.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set ourhands this 16th day ofOctober, 1903.

HENRY GEISEN HON ER. DAVID MILLER.

Witnesses HELEN ORFORD, E. C. HoLLisTER.

